Drawing Life From

by

February 29, 2024 · Bilingual, Comics, Exhibitions

Sesenta presents a new addition to the bilingual comic series by Carlos Matallana. Arte has the power to evoke emotions in response to current war and genocides as the character Tío experiences while attending the Picasso exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago.

A black and white image of text that reads, "Drawing Life From...a reflection on Picasso's exhibition at the Art Institute Chicago 2024" and has white outlines of side profiles of Carlos Matanalla's bilingual comic characters.
A black and white image of text that reads, "Drawing Life From...a reflection on Picasso's exhibition at the Art Institute Chicago 2024" and has white outlines of side profiles of Carlos Matanalla's bilingual comic characters walking through snow followed by the same characters taking fotos of unseen art.
A green background spread featuring a charcoal painting by picasso being observed by three black and white characters with the saying Blah-Blah written all over and the name Georges Braque in the center.
A green background spread featuring Tío looking around looking unamused with the saying Blah-Blah written all over and the word Neoclassicism in the bottom left.
The word War followed by repetitive Blah-Blah hover over a charcoal painting by Picasso with Tío now with a red toro head observing the image in awe or disgust it is hard to tell.
A red background with Tío with a toro head looking confused and sad as he looks at painting that resemble dismembered bodies.
A red, green, and yellow image shows Tío with a toro head evolving and screaming as his nephew asks, "todo bien?" or "is everything okay?"
A splattered watermelon comes out of Tío with a toro head and also shows normal Tío sobbing as his nephews look at him.
All original arte hecho by Carlos Matallana for Sesenta, 2024.
Carlos Matallana Portrait made by his teenage children Marcela and Samuel Matallana, 2021.

About the artist: Carlos Matallana’s (He/Him) illustration tool is ink/pen on paper, He relies on high contrast and its expressionism qualities. Like an anonymous quiet observant, he prefers to illustrate his characters from the back. He enjoys illustrating full body characters standing or in movement, revealing attitudes and feelings through posture or even clothing instead of facial expressions. He published the graphic novel Brea https://manualofviolence.org/ in 2018. Instagram @tropipunk